Dating back to the 1850’s, Chinatown San Francisco is the oldest such district in North America and the largest outside of Asia. The first Chinese immigrants arrived in 1848, predating the California gold rush.

Where at first the Chinese faced exclusion in California and the rest of America -their children barred from public schools and their employment and housing opportunities diminished by targeted legislation, they persevered and created a thriving haven of inclusion and cultural celebration. The sights, sounds and aromas of present day Chinatown stir the soul, whether drawn in collectively as a sort of cultural potpourri or observed one lively detail at a time.

The Transamerica Pyramid rising a total of 260 meters in the distance is a familiar face of San Francisco and a startling contrast to “old world” Chinatown when spotted beyond its dangling red lanterns.

I love the image. It looks like the needle-like point of that building is going to burst the balloon (lantern). We don’t have areas of our cities which are so radically different from the rest. It must be fascinating.

Fly Girl: It was surprising to spin around and spot the skyscraper looming above it all. It took a few shots to catch the lanterns in the right breeze.
Chicago’s water taxis may be my favorite mode of transportation there. I’m still hoping to get one or more of my kids there in the next month or so. Chi’s Chinatown would be a fun visit!

Suzanne: I do like exploring the pockets of other cultures within our cities here. It’s interesting that New Zealand is so homogenous.

Intrepid: San Francisco is such a vibrant city and proves that urban weekends needn’t be relegated to the indoors (as they often are when the weather cools here in the midwest). ~Noticed some changes since my last visit (more “tourists”!) and am hoping to return with one of the kids who hasn’t been there yet…

Doug: Oh yes! ~A bit more work than I expected, but that’s what happens when one upgrades from at least six versions back(!). Thanks for the encouragement.

Thanks Mark. It’s an engaging microcosm. My now 17-year old remembers an enormous and exotic Chinese pet store as a highlight of our trip to San Fran some seven years ago. -Tried to find it again, but ended up at a fish market instead!

iWalk,
It’s a fairly self-contained community with all the essentials and then some, but that’s surprising that the lady never left Chinatown! For some, there’s definitely a language barrier. Perhaps she didn’t speak English? It would be a shame to miss out on all the other exciting places in the San Francisco area.